Dear Family and Friends,
In some ways it has been a routine week and there have definitely been some firsts, even after eighteen months. We went with the sisters to meet with Otis on Monday and discussed the importance of keeping the commandments, and what some of them are. We are still a little concerned that he might just be wanting to get another baptism under his belt His mother and sister are really excited to come and see him get baptized the end of this month. We are hoping he is going to be truly converted by then. We met with him again later in the week and discussed some more commandments and he came to church this Sunday. We had arranged to pick him up but he called before church and said he didn't need a ride. He borrowed his mother's car again. His baptism date is three weeks away and the sisters still haven't discussed the word of wisdom with him I don't know why they seem to put it off so long but they all do. That is a common comment we hear in District Council, "They are on date for baptism in two weeks but we haven't told them about the word of wisdom or tithing yet"(???). Anyway, I guess they are the teachers.
Tuesday we took Ollie to the branch building and worked on her checkbook with her. She was quite concerned because I told her she still had money in her account and the bank said she was overdrawn. I told her we would have to look at her statement when it came and find the problem. We did. She told us earlier in the month that she called Aretha (the lady at the bank that handles her trust fund) and had her pay off a loan that she had from the bank. She still owed over nine hundred dollars. We thought that was good since she wouldn't be paying interest on it every month. When I went over her statement I saw that the payment came out of her checking account. She didn't tell us it was paid from her checking account. We thought she had the money taken out of her trust. So I guess we found the error. Sister Owens got her hair cut Tuesday, so she was pretty happy the rest of the week.
Wednesday morning we went bright and early to get Ollie and Vanesa (a non-member we have been trying to help out) and took them down for the annual sign up for assistance with a food bank ran by a church in Tuscaloosa. They bring a truck load of groceries to Demopolis to distribute to needy people once a week. People can come down to a church here and pick up a grocery sack of canned goods for their family. We took Ollie last year to sign up and tried to dump her out of her wheelchair when we were leaving. Ollie stayed in the car with me and Sister Owens went in to sign her up and told them she was out in the car. They said, "Oh, please. Don't bring her in." (they remembered us from last year) So Sister Owens came out to the car with some papers for her to sign. At coordination meeting the sisters told us about the people they have been meeting that are so interested in learning what they have to teach. They have been so faithful and dedicated and just have not seen a lot of success but they have kept working (they are awesome sisters) and lately they have been meeting people right and left that want to learn more.
Thursday was Book of Mormon class. For several weeks Sister Borden and Brother White have been saying they are getting catfish for Sister Nixon to cook for everybody and last week they said they were definitely going to have it this week. That was what they said last month and we fixed a big bowl of cole slaw and had all the fixins for fish tacos and Sister Borden told us when we picked her up that they couldn't get the fish. So this week we checked with her twice during the week to make sure they would have the fish (the last time was Wednesday). She assured us we were having the fish so we made another batch of cole slaw and got the tortillas and beans and were all ready Thursday. We had even told Brother White to call us if something happened that they wouldn't have the fish. Just as we were loading up to go get Sister Borden, she called and said they couldn't get the fish. We put the beans and tortillas in the fridge and took the cole slaw (Sister Borden said she was getting some chicken). After we picked her up we stopped to get the chicken and she had ordered a side of cole slaw. So now we have a couple weeks worth of cole slaw to eat again. Brother White said the plant stopped selling to the public. I don't think we will try again. At least if they do, we aren't bringing cole slaw. The sisters brought cookies and lemonade. Sister McCreath said the cookies were her grandmother's recipe. Her Grandmother told her they are "Marry me cookies." She told her that you make them for someone that you really like and after they taste them they will want to ask you to marry them. They were very good cookies!!
Friday we had another fun experience finding a member of the branch. We drove all the way out to her address in Jefferson and the trailer looked deserted. The phone rang just as we arrived so we pulled over and stopped so Sister Owens could talk on the phone. I noticed a man walking toward us from back up the road on the other side. As he walked across the highway I assumed he was coming to talk to us. He was a tall rather rough looking black man. He walked up to my door so I got out and introduced myself to him and asked if he knew who lived in the trailer. He said, "Yes, I live there." I asked if he knew the lady we were looking for and he said she lived in Demopolis by the Hospital. He gave me very understandable directions based on a building called "New Era" that was on the street next to the hospital. We drove there and there was no building called "New Era" so we didn't know where to look for the white house that was supposed to be behind it. We pulled into a parking lot and decided to google "New Era in Demopolis." It was a hat shop that was no longer in business but it had an address which was in the same block we were in at the time (we were in the parking lot of the dentist office where President James daughter works). It ended up that we were stopped about one hundred feet from the house we were looking for and got to meet the member and her family. Good old McDonalds has her working weekends and won't change her schedule so she can come to church. We aren't sure if being off work would mean she would come to church but that is what she told us. I updated her address and phone number in the ward list and Sunday we were all excited to tell the branch council that we had found her and got to meet her. President James said that was nice that we got to meet her. We said she lives in Demopolis now. He said, "Yeah, she is right over behind the Dentist's Office on Chestnut, she used to live out in Jefferson." (Duh) So much for our brilliant detective work.
Saturday was our turn to clean the church building, then we did our P-day chores and fixed a big lunch to take with us on Sunday to eat with Timothy on the way home from his Patriarchal Blessing in Hoover. Sister Morgan called us and invited us to their home for supper. Since they were having the sisters come, they decided to have us over as well. Brother Morgan is getting so old and is having such a hard time. He can't hear and has a very hard time speaking clearly enough for people to understand him. He has to have help standing up when he is sitting down so President James told him he doesn't have to conduct Sacrament Meeting anymore. He just wants him to sit with him behind the podium. He helps me with finances every week he is there and he can't really do anything but punch in his password with the end of a pencil when we finish. His hands are so crippled it is painful for him to try to write his initials on the paperwork for the finances. He has asked to be released a couple times in the last few months but there really isn't anyone that can replace him so President James has not released him. He is such an example of dedication and willingness to serve at all costs.
Sunday the sisters spoke again in Sacrament Meeting and both did a fantastic job. At dinner Saturday night they told Brother Morgan they would be happy to speak any time he wanted them to. Brother Morgan is the only one that arranges all the speakers for Sacrament meeting all the time. Relief Society and Priesthood went very well today. We reviewed the talk by Elder McKay on The Immediate Goodness of God. In Priesthood meeting hardly anyone in the branch can read well if at all. I typed up four questions about what they learned or felt as they listened to the message and then had everyone give their answer to at least one of the questions before the whole group. Several weeks ago in Book of Mormon class Brother White said he wished he could teach a lesson or something like Brother Smith or the missionaries do but that he just can't do things like that. He was feeling inadequate at the time because he had just been sustained as Brother Smith's counselor in the Elders Quorum. When he answered the question today he spoke to the brethren for at least five to seven minutes and taught a powerful concept. He connected with many of them more effectively than Brother Smith or I ever could have. It was really neat to be there and to witness that. Otis was there as well and took his turn to respond to the group. After church we drove Timothy to Hoover so he could get his Patriarchal Blessing. It was a really great Sabbath all around. It was a good week.
Keep the commandments and read your Book of Mormon every day.
We love y'all,
Elder and Sister Owens
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